Kapitel 12: Chapter 12
While some of the stores were still open, Darius hurriedly went to order a chest and lock and key from the smithy for it. Since Darius lived in the city, the delivery only cost one or two coppers in most cases. Alchemy tools were more expensive, though. They were so expensive that currently Darius could not buy even used or half-broken ones. Even on the lower side, these instruments cost tens of silvers. The only thing he could buy was a box of empty potions with the delivery fee amounting to two silvers and two coppers for presumably mass-produced 40 small glass potions. The potion size was told to be empire-wide standard otherwise, potions would cost even more. Despite Darius being glad about it after buying medical herbs, he had spent half his money. Still, it was a better deal for Darius to buy herbs than try to go into far away wilderness to chance upon them. Frankly, he didn't have time for it or the gear and chances to take risks.
The rest of his money went on paper, ink, quells, miscellaneous items and buying kitchen wares but not for cooking. Although it would be insufficient, Darius could start making healing potions with kitchenware while gaining enough money to spend on alchemy equipment. He could someday get his items back and have several alchemy tools back at once. It would be a nice day indeed. While Darius had been in the alchemy store, he noticed that even the low-priced new alchemy tools looked shabbier than what he had stolen from Forest witch but still not the kind of top quality as the best items in the store selection. Darius also presumed that some of the items might not even be displayed. Alchemy was expensive, but so were the potions. Even the most basic healing potions were sold for over tens of silvers each depending on the effect. In the potion store, infused potions were not even shown in the selection. When Darius asked about it, he replied that these mage potions were too costly, and you could only buy them from academia, but only mages could go there. These potions got Darius captivated because infused potions were priced very highly by tens of thousands of gold coins, and they were otherwise only sold in the actions during major events by auction halls. However, bigger auction halls did not sell any normal potions. It was easier to sell these potions in bulk to some large buyers.
A week went by with Darius trying to perform alchemy. Almost nothing worked. The fire was too uneven in the furnace, and even when he replaced firewood with coal, the effect was slightly better. Then one of the kitchenware he had gotten, a copper pan, reacted too much with the herbs and caused the mixture to fail all the time, so he couldn't use it for anything. Then there were problems with boiling clear enough water for the potions. Darius had to use the lid of the pot to slowly gather the water he needed for potions, and at the beginning, he was using the wrong copper lid again. After countless errors, tool malfunctioning and achieving even basic standards for potion making, the result of the week was two minor healing potions according to the dim blue colour of their content. After selling the potions, he had just enough money to repurchase herbs and have a bit of coinage for side expenses. It looked like he really had to get better fire, equipment, tools and maybe materials to perform alchemy better. He basically lacked in all aspects of alchemy other than stubbornness.
*Great business* Thought Darius tiredly.
If he could get better, literally everything, the potioneering would be easier, and the results could support his costly life in the city. While slowly eating his evening meal, Darius went through the lists of improvements and wrote a list of items that he would need and some questions to inquire from storekeepers. When one of the moons rose high enough, Darius took his travel sack and put half of his items into it, leaving the deed, several jewels and books in the locked chest. He also set the black hooded cloak on top of the items and closed the sack. While entering the slum area, Darius entered one corner and put the robe on. Although he was nervous, nobody seemed interested in him, and he passed a small market area with tens of small wooden tables. Then he looked at the signs and went past several narrow streets of stone, wood huts, and broken old buildings fixed for living use or even minor business. A lot of buildings were so unkept that moss and vines grew everywhere. Only dim lights here and there told Darius that people were living inside these half-own abandoned buildings. He went across the small river with a collapsed old stone bridge. The new bridge had been built with rough timber to permit wagons to go on the other side. All the streets were just mud and dirt roads and tiny pathways mixed with chicken feces, and nearby every makeshift bar, there were corners marked with decades of piss and shit.
*Lovely rustic place indeed* Thought Darius and promised himself to keep earning money and not end up living here. In some parts, even living in the sewer seemed a better idea. Passing one bar was nerve-racking, but Darius only got drunken incoherent yelling from the customers sitting on the empty wooden boxes. He could also hear the sudden voice of a kid screaming far behind several buildings, but otherwise, the streets were quiet. Finally, Darius got to the front of the building, which looked like an abandoned tavern. The right side of the building had a stone wall being built, and it seemed that these stones were being carried from buildings behind the main building. At the front of the building, he saw one large man half-dozing with a large axe next to him. However, the rusty metal sign of the smiling moon dangling from the iron rod told Darius that he had come to the right place. When Darius walked next to the stairs man woke up. He lifted his hood and had his hand on the axe. Darius could also see that on the man's neck, he had a metal token with a similar symbol of a smiling half-moon.
"Are you here on business or in trouble?" asked the man with a rough voice.
"I'm here to trade," smiled Darius.
"Okay, right answer, remember not to fuck things up, or you get your face in by the axe. Welcome inside."
With the sturdy security greeting, Darius was led inside the building. Several men sat and ate their meal while a maid cleaned the table. The frontman knocked several times on the sturdy side door, and Darius could hear heavy, rusty scraping sounds inside. The door opened, and another guard invited him in. Nobody in the hall looked at him even though the door opening had made a lot of noise. It seemed that these people had been trained for these kinds of things. Darius walked inside the room full of shelves, items, and boxes on the floor. At the end of this room, he saw a table nearby the back door and a man sitting behind the table. The man was dressed in an expensive-looking lush black robe with some shining symbols on its sleeves. The man had eyes the colour of steel, and he gave a sharp expressionless gaze towards Darius almost in a calculative manner before smiling.
"Welcome in, new customer. How can I help?"
"Greetings, mister Trader. I would have some items that I would like to sell. Can you assess their exact value?"
"I believe I can, young man. Since you are new here, there are few trade rules here. I assure total confidentiality to my customers and fair prices without questions asked. But because confidentiality costs money, the price is 50 % at the beginning. I will give you real values so you will not lose more money on any item. Later we might form additional agreements based on the items you bring me or buy. There is no haggling here, and I sell my wares at a reasonable price. I buy and sell anything worth selling. You can also look at the request list at the bar. Just remember to ask for it if you are interested." Said the man with a practised firm tone.
"Right, so you act as a whole seller at the same time as the general store with services and trade deals," Darius smirked.
"Exactly, young man," mister Trader smiled with sharp calculative eyes.
"Well, I have these items for sale. I would like to trade also for alchemy tools if you would have any or magic books."
Mister Trader smiled more broadly "a quality customer, I see. These items, however, are not as valuable as magic books. I currently don't have any of them in my collection, but even these items surface at some point. I will tell you next time if I have acquired magic books. Do you practice alchemy? I can offer a better deal on potions. There are even several requests for potions with great rewards included."
"I will have to look at that later. I have to get better alchemy tools before I can take on requests." Answered Darius.
"Good, we can discuss that when you can produce potions, great news, nonetheless. Now, these items seem to be weapons and antique collectables. I can give you 40 silvers for the short sword and 30 silvers for two daggers since these weapons seem to be in demand. That leaves us these collectables and relic statues. These others are barely worth of, let's say, three silvers, so I can give you around silver and 30 coppers, but these relic statues are from the eastern countries, presumably from the kingdom of Mabia. Procuring these statues is not an easy task. Albeit these statues form 12 statue collection of heroes of Mabia, you have five of them in decent condition. The whole collection could be sold to nobles for, let's say, 15 to 20 gold coins. But I would give the five statues two golds and 80 silvers."
Darius calculated his odds and answered, "Sounds reasonable. Do you happen to have medical herbs, alchemy tools, sturdy hook and robe or other climbing equipment? I would also need decent light for fast travel use."
After a while of back and forth, Darius had what he needed. With a new larger and heavier travel sack and around 90 silvers richer, he carried alchemy tools, materials and other tools and a robe back to the Green lantern tavern. Mister trader had also given him a similar smiling half-moon token to ensure his safety in the slums for future trading.
While Darius had left, mister Trader looked at the statues. He had gotten them cheaply, but he wanted to collect all of them before selling them. If those slum thugs had known, they would be angry. Trader asked his intel guard for details on Mathias, but there were no new ones.
"I gave that boy our token, so if any men see him in trouble, go help him, he will earn us money."
After the guard nodded, Trader went back inside his office. He had wanted to get these statues for a longer time, but Mathias did not want to sell them. Trader smiled with the comfort of having one of his rivals outmanoeuvred from the markets. Everything was going splendidly with a new alchemist contact that seemed capable of acquiring items. *Very promising profits indeed* thought Trader while watching the black onyx statues in the candlelight.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein